Ruqayyah Snyder
Tiger's eye is a variety of quartz that is well known for its silky lustre and beautiful striations. It is a metamorphic rock that comes in many different shades and colours, with the most common variety being a golden yellow-brown. It is a popular gemstone that has been used since ancient times, with the ancient Chinese believing that it could protect against evil spirits. Tiger's eye is mined primarily in South Africa, but it can also be found in Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Found in | South Africa, Western Australia, India, Namibia, Brazil, the United States, Canada, China, Korea, Spain, Burma, Madagascar, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine |
| Colours | Golden yellow-brown, honey, red, blue, green, pink, navy blue, mahogany, multi-coloured |
| Composition | Silicon dioxide (SiO2), iron oxide, quartz, crocidolite, limonite, jasper, hematite |
| Uses | Jewellery, ornamentation, beads, knife hilts, cufflinks, necklaces, bracelets, rings, pins |
| Properties | Chatoyant, lustrous, opaque, brittle, delicate, metamorphic rock, semi-precious |
| Healing properties | Supports natural healing, brings good fortune and success, emits positive vibrations, improves creative thinking, improves mood, reduces anxiety, protects against toxic relationships, improves self-esteem |
| Grading | Grades 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness |
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What You'll Learn
Tiger's Eye is found in Western Australia
Tiger's Eye is a chatoyant gemstone that is usually a metamorphic rock with a golden to red-brown colour and a silky lustre. It is composed of silicon dioxide and coloured by iron oxide. It is a variety of quartz that is well known for its lustre and beautiful striations. It is formed by the alteration of crocidolite and is mined primarily in South Africa.
Tiger's Eye is also found in Western Australia. The Brockman Tiger Eye mine (Marra Mamba) is located in the Ashburton Shire of Western Australia, approximately 50 kilometres north-west of Tom Price, near Mt Brockman, adjacent to Caves Creek Valley on Hammersley Station. The mine comprises three units, the uppermost being the Mount Newman unit, which is about 55 metres thick and includes minerals such as quartz, magnetite, and riebeckite. The McLeod member is about 50 metres thick and contains variable amounts of siderite, dolomite, and pyrrhotite. The lowest unit, the Nammuldi unit, has little economic interest and has not received much attention.
The gemstone is believed to have various spiritual and symbolic meanings in different cultures. In ancient China, it was believed that tigers were protectors against evil, and wearing tiger's eye provided a connection to tigers. In ancient Egypt, it was used in the making of eyes for gods' statues, and Roman soldiers carried it to battle, believing it would give them strength and courage.
Tiger's Eye is commonly used in jewellery-making and ornamentation. It is often crafted into beads, pendants, necklaces, bracelets, rings, and pins. The stone's unique appearance and lustre make it a popular choice for decorative items.
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It is a semi-precious gemstone
Tiger's eye is a semi-precious gemstone that is usually opaque and found naturally in shades of brown or golden brown. It is a variety of quartz with a silky lustre and beautiful striations. It is composed of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and coloured by iron oxide. The stone gets its name from the unusual spots and dark strands running through it, which resemble a tiger's fur pattern.
Tiger's eye is a relatively hard stone that grades 7 on the Mohs scale, making it easy to work with. It is often cut into cabochons to showcase its chatoyance, an optical phenomenon that creates a silky sheen and the illusion of moving colours and patterns. The stone is also used in its natural form for ornamental objects like knife hilts and beads.
The gemstone is believed to have various healing properties and has been associated with good fortune and success. It is said to emit positive vibrations that activate inner energy, improve creative thinking, and help overcome obstacles. In ancient times, it was worn as amulets and jewellery to protect against evil spirits and bring good luck.
Tiger's eye can be found in several places around the world, including South Africa, Western Australia, India, Namibia, Brazil, and the United States. The stone is mined from remote locations like the Hamersley Ranges in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, where it occurs within iron ore formations.
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It is a variety of quartz
Tiger's eye is a variety of quartz that is well known for its silky lustre and beautiful striations. It is composed of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and coloured by iron oxide. The stone gets its name from its undulating, contrasting bands of colour that create a chatoyant effect, resembling the eye of a tiger. The specific gravity of the stone ranges from 2.64 to 2.71.
The stone is formed by the alteration of crocidolite, a blue form of asbestos. Geologists once believed that tiger's eye was a pseudomorph, where quartz replaced crocidolite. However, this theory was disproven in the early 2000s when scientists found no evidence of pseudomorphs in a piece of South African tiger's eye under a scanning electron microscope. Instead, they proposed that tiger's eye is formed through a discontinuous crack-seal mechanism, where water containing the necessary minerals seeps into cracks in a quartz rock containing crocidolite.
The golden to red-brown colour of tiger's eye is caused by iron oxides, primarily limonite, staining the crocidolite fibres. If the fibres are not stained, the stone takes on a blue colour, known as Hawk's Eye quartz. The blue variety is due to the presence of crocidolite fibres intergrown with quartz, producing a wavy, chatoyant shimmer. The different colours of tiger's eye often form in the same deposits and are found in different locations.
Tiger's eye is mined primarily in South Africa, with significant deposits in Western Australia. It is also found in Brazil, the United States, India, Namibia, and other countries. The stone has been used throughout history for decorative and ornamental purposes, such as jewellery and amulets. In ancient times, it was believed to have protective and spiritual properties.
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It is a metamorphic rock
Tiger's eye is a metamorphic rock that is usually opaque and found naturally in shades of brown or golden brown. However, it can be dyed any colour, from pink to green to navy blue. It is a variety of quartz with a silky lustre and beautiful striations. It is composed of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and coloured by iron oxide. The stone gets its name from its lustre, which resembles the eye of a cat. This lustre is caused by the reflection of light off the microscopic fibres of crocidolite, a blue form of asbestos, within the stone.
Tiger's eye is a popular gemstone, especially for jewellery, and has been used since ancient times. It is mined in several places around the world, including South Africa, Western Australia, Brazil, the United States, India, and Burma. The stone is believed to have spiritual and protective properties in many cultures. For example, the ancient Chinese believed that tigers were protectors against evil, and thus, tiger's eye provided a direct connection to tigers. Similarly, in ancient Egypt, it was believed that wearing a bracelet with these stones embodied the rays of the sun, a tribute to the sun god, and a symbol of a powerful life force.
The different colours of tiger's eye also hold different spiritual meanings and are found in different locations. For instance, brown tiger's eye, which is mined in Africa, Australia, Brazil, and the United States, is believed to help one remain safe when in danger and improve creative endeavours. On the other hand, red tiger's eye, predominantly found in South Africa and Western Australia, is highly regarded for strengthening the body and improving energy. Golden tiger's eye, found in South Africa, Australia, and India, is said to improve one's peace by bringing together the energy of the Earth and the sun.
The process by which tiger's eye forms is quite fascinating. It occurs when quartz forms over existing bluish-gray crocidolite and eventually replaces it entirely. The iron within the crocidolite dissolves and stains the quartz, resulting in the golden yellow to brown colour of tiger's eye. This process creates the dense fibres that give tiger's eye its unique appearance.
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It is used for jewellery and ornamentation
Tiger's eye is a variety of quartz with a distinctive silky lustre and beautiful striations. It is a metamorphic rock, usually opaque, and found naturally in shades of brown or golden brown, though it can also be dyed in various colours. It is composed chiefly of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and coloured mainly by iron oxide.
Tiger's eye is a popular gemstone used in jewellery and ornamentation. Its unique appearance has been highly valued since ancient times. The stone is often crafted into beads for necklaces and bracelets, as well as pendants, pins, rings, and cufflinks. The undulating, contrasting bands of colour and lustre create an attractive motif.
In ancient times, the stone was believed to have protective and spiritual properties. The ancient Chinese believed that the tiger was a protector against evil, and wearing tiger's eye provided a connection to tigers. In ancient Egypt, it was thought that wearing a bracelet with tiger's eye stones embodied the rays of the sun, a tribute to the sun god, and a symbol of a powerful life force. Roman soldiers also wore engraved tiger's eye to battle, believing it would give them strength and courage.
Today, tiger's eye is still prized for its beauty and is often used in jewellery for its attractive colour and lustre. It is an inexpensive gemstone, depending on the colour, and is regularly crafted into beads and pendants. The stone can be given a gemstone cut to display its chatoyance, or lustre, and is sometimes tumbled to create small, shiny beads for bracelets.
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Frequently asked questions
Tiger's Eye is found in Western Australia, an area rich in iron. The gemstone is also found in other parts of the world, including South Africa, India, Brazil, and the United States.
Tiger's Eye is a metamorphic rock and a variety of quartz known for its silky lustre and beautiful striations. It is a popular ornamental material used for jewellery-making and other decorative purposes.
Tiger's Eye is typically associated with shades of golden yellow and brown, but it can also be found in other colours, including red, blue, and green. The different colours of Tiger's Eye often have distinct names and spiritual meanings.
Tiger's Eye is commonly used for jewellery, such as necklaces, bracelets, rings, and pins. It is believed to have healing properties and is associated with good fortune, success, and protection from evil spirits.
